Category Archives: Recipes

Happy Labor Day!
I know many of you will be celebrating with family at BBQ’s and cookouts – enjoying this holiday that signifies the end of summer. My hubby is working, so while we won’t be eating the traditional hamburgers and hotdogs today, make sure you make enough of whatever you’re creating so that there are leftovers to share or turn into a second meal later in the week.

I’ve linked to a couple recipes for our dinners, but that doesn’t mean that I follow those recipes exactly. For example, I like doing the penne on Sunday with just green beans and I even throw some Feta cheese into my pesto to add another layer of flavor and creaminess. With the chicken rollatini, I like to put sundried tomatoes, feta and spinach inside (can you tell I like Greek food?!). As always, use this plan as an inspiration, not as a boundary.

I’m also realizing that as we’re still getting used to an everyday school schedule, cereal, yogurt, and/or oatmeal are becoming are weekly breakfast staples. However, don’t let that limit your morning creativity! (Plus we’re still stocked on free yogurt from last week!)

If you’re looking for more of my tips and tricks when it comes to Family Menu Planning on a Budget, be sure to turn into Talk of the Town tomorrow (9/8) at 11am CST on Nashville’s NewsChannel 5.

Another week, another plan. As summer ends, we’re trying to incorporate the fresh herbs that have taken on second life in our small garden, as well as finish up all the new vegetables we bought from the farmers market to try! We’re also continuing to do less meat (for health & budget), so you’ll notice more eggs, veggies & pasta worked into this week. I also have a TON of yogurt I got for free (thanks to Kroger Super Doubles this past week!), so you’ll notice I’ve incorporated that into most of our breakfasts and even our snacks.

If you have any recipes you love or variations you’ve tried, please share it with us below. Have a great week and don’t forget to enter the Purity Lovers giveaway before 9/1!

Ok gang – here’s the plan for the week.
I have to tell you, I tried something totally different tonight. I’m trying to use up the rest of my veggies from our trip to the Farmer’s Market, so I decided to make my version of Eggplant Lasagna: instead of just eggplant, I also roasted a new type of squash for one of the layers. I also supplemented a (free) jar of tomato sauce with shredded carrots, garlic and onion…as well as some zucchini puree and fresh basil. Once the sauce cooked down, I took a hand blender and smoothed it out. I told the kids it was lasagna, and just never metnioned that there wasn’t any pasta in it; Kariss had 3 helpings!

Remember, make these plans work for you and your family: change out the protein, mix up the vegetables, or play around with what you cook on which day. The purpose is to decrease stress and maximize your time with your family (and maximize your dollar). Have any great recipes you’ve tried lately? I’d love to hear about them!

I can’t believe that summer is technically over (based on the fact that school has started here in Nashville), but we’re experiencing some of the hottest days we’ve had all year! However, that means there’s still great nights for grilling ahead (even if that means just using the George Foreman inside). Yesterday we made our first family trip to the Nashville Farmer’s Market and I got a great sampling of fresh vegetables I’ve never tried before, like different kinds of zucchini, squash and eggplants, so you’ll see those mixed into the recipes this week! Enjoy!

I know many of you have kids that will be going back to school, us included! (Our daughter will be starting Kindergarten this year – I can hardly believe it!) So keep in mind that you may want to adapt your dinners so you can turn them into a lunch for the next day (like the Pot Roast on Saturday that I’ll be using to make BBQ beef sandwiches for lunch on Sunday). As the summer seems to get hotter instead of cooler as it nears its end, anytime you can cook once and eat off it twice is a big help!

UPDATE: I also just found this list of a month’s worth of No-Cook meals from Food Network in our continuing effort to keep our kitchen’s cool!

Ok, it’s a new month. Summer is coming to a close and school is right around the corner. Enjoy every minute with your family and take the opportunity to try something new this week. Use leftovers from dinner to make fun sandwiches or salads for lunch the next day (like my lamb pitas or thai chicken salad you’ll see on the menu this week). Remember, make the menu work for you!